AROUND THE SCHOOLS: An inside look at area athletes

Junior soccer forward Michaelina Holmes has taken her talents on the pitch and moved them behind the sidelines on Saturday mornings to help coach a U8 team in the Abington Youth Soccer League.

"My neighbor asked me to help her out with her team and I have to do a senior project," Holmes said. "I thought it was a great opportunity."

Holmes is also impressive in the classroom as an honor roll student, and is a member of the school orchestra, where she plays the violin.

"I've been playing the violin since kindergarten," Holmes said. "I just play it because I enjoy it."

mmyers@timesshamrock.com

Blue Ridge

Junior volleyball player Katherine Kempa is involved in an anti-bullying campaign.

On Nov. 7, Kempa and some of her classmates will conduct a program for third graders with activities that show them what bullying is and the effects it can have.

"My aunt (Charlotte Sherwood) is a teacher at Montrose. She started the program and runs it there," Kempa said. "I think it's a good way to help out the kids."

In the meantime, Kempa is looking forward to Tuesday's volleyball playoff match against rival Susquehanna.

Kempa also has been a member of the track team since seventh grade. She runs the sprints, relays and throws the javelin.

She is a member of the Leo Club, which is currently involved in a Feed-A-Friend project.

swalsh@timesshamrock.com

Carbondale Area

Isaiah McCord has been one of the quiet leaders of the football team, which has qualified for the District 2 Class AA playoffs. A starter at defensive end and left tackle, the senior has been a force on both sides of the ball. He makes his most valuable contributions by swatting passes at the line of scrimmage.

A two-sport star, being one of the leading scorers for the basketball team, his quickness off the ground and good leaping ability makes him one of the top players in the Lackawanna Football Conference Division III.

jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com

Delaware Valley

Senior field hockey captain Grace Farrell helped her team upset top-seeded Wyoming Valley West, 3-2, on Wednesday, as Farrell scored both regulation goals in the victory.

Not only is Farrell a winner on the field, she also excels in the classroom.

Farrell is a member of student council and National Honor Society. She also serves as the sports editor for the high school newspaper, Del.Aware.

An all-league player last year and the leading scorer on the team, she also was named honorable mention on the all-state team last season.

In the spring, Farrell is a member of the track and field team.

She also volunteers for the United Way's Day of Caring and has verbally committed to further her academic and athletic careers at Division I Bryant University.

mmyers@timesshamrock.com

Elk Lake

Zach Moon is a member of the varsity cross country team that finished second in the District 2 Class A championships. Elk Lake earned a spot in the PIAA Championships in Hershey on Saturday. Moon finished 65th overall in the Class A race.

"The team did pretty well but I didn't have the greatest race," he said. "I'm pretty excited (to go to states). It is a tough course but it's a nice course and it's nice to see the other runners there."

Moon is also a member of the school's scholastic team, which competes against other schools. The team consists of five students and was selected by highest GPA.

"It's pretty fun," he said. "They ask you a lot of questions about different things. It's enjoyable to learn new things and it definitely helps with school."

hsmith@timesshamrock.com

Forest City

Emily Statkun and Greg Kowalewski are both two-year members of their varsity volleyball teams. Both are high honors students and each is a member of the National Honor Society. Both are student council members, with Kowalewski serving as president. But the similarities don't end there.

Statkun, a junior, and Kowalewski, a senior, were chosen by the school administration to be advisors on the school's Rachel's Challenge program, which was inspired by Rachel Joy Scott and promotes kindness and compassions throughout the community.

Statkun and Kowalewski attended workshops and seminars during August and September, then presented their findings to school officials and the community

irebensky@timesshamrock.com

Holy Cross

Tiffany Warnetsky has built up a lot of experience in her cheerleading career.

The senior is a captain of the football cheerleaders and is a coach for the Valley View Junior Cougars cheerleaders.

"Cheer taught me to never give up," she said. "If something doesn't work the first time, try again. You can only improve."

Warnetsky plans to study mathematics at the University of Scranton before continuing on to a masters in secondary education.

cfoley@timesshamrock.com

Honesdale

Now that her soccer season is over, senior Mackenzie Dirlam can turn her attention to the many clubs she is involved in and their upcoming community service projects.

She is a four-year member of the Interact Club and currently the secretary. The club is planning its annual Purple Pinkie campaign. For $1, students get their pinkie painted purple and the money goes toward End Polio Now.

Dirlam also is a four-year member of student council, which is doing an adopt-a-family program.

"We decorate a pumpkin and sell raffle tickets to win the pumpkin," Dirlam said. "All the money from that, we go shopping and buy a Thanksgiving dinner for a family in need."

Student council will also be doing a Giving Tree in December.

Even though it keeps her busy, Dirlam enjoys being involved.

"It makes me feel like I'm doing more with my life than just playing a sport or doing schoolwork," Dirlam said. "It keeps me focused."

Besides soccer, Dirlam is also a member of the softball team and she played tennis for two years. She also is in the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Rachel's Challenge. She hopes to study occupational therapy in college.

swalsh@timesshamrock.com

Lakeland

Soccer goalkeeper and captain Scott Cortes was recently elected Homecoming king by his class.

"It was an honor and a surprise when they announced my name," Cortes said.

Cortes, the senior class vice president, is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Boy Scouts.

cfoley@timesshamrock.com

Mountain View

As a member of the golf, basketball and scholastic teams, you wouldn't think Tyler Salak would have a lot of time on his hands for anything else.

Guess again.

The senior spends his free time playing the guitar. He had hoped for a spot on the District Jazz Band, but when he saw the position filled two years ago, he decided to change to bass, nailed the audition this season and was rewarded with the position of first bass player.

"I'm primarily a guitar player," he said. "But my brothers plays too and we had a bass laying around the house, so I decided to try that. And it worked out pretty well."

"What's up, doc?" may be the catchphrase for cartoon character Bugs Bunny, but when it comes to real rabbits, it's no joking matter for senior and varsity field hockey player Morgan Updyke. That's because Updyke has been raising show-quality rabbits with her family for six years.

This week, she will be participating in the 90th Rabbit Breeders Association at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. This year marks the first time in more than 30 years that Pennsylvania has hosted this national convention.

Updyke's rabbits will account for only 14 of more than 20,000 entries, but there is no lack of enthusiasm from the young woman who enjoys showing Mini-Rex and New Zealand rabbits.

"Six years and countless hours I've spent working with my rabbits has paid off to where I am now," Updyke said. "I've had to sacrifice many things, but hopefully it will all pay off at the end of convention."

Regardless of the outcome of this week's competition, Updyke is excited to take part in a show of such high-quality animals.

mmyers@timesshamrock.com

North Pocono

Senior Sergei Bilardi is captain of the cross country team and member of the track and field team. He's the recipient of the Boys Coach Ed Juba Award, an award that recognizes his dedication to the team and sport of cross country. In a recent home meet, Bilardi ran a personal best of 17:43.

Bilardi is a member of the National Honor Society and takes advanced placement courses, such as AP English and chemistry. He is also a Cadet Senior Airman in Civil Air Patrol, a volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

Bilardi is helping to organize and manage the Run Against Hunger for his senior project. The 5K/10K run/walk will be held Nov. 9 as a fundraiser for the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen.

Bilardi is applying to Embry-Riddle and Penn State University, and hopes to major in either astrophysics or astronautical engineering.

shennigan@timesshamrock.com

Old Forge

Senior soccer captain Christian Mozeleski has been playing with the Blue Devils since the start of the varsity program. Mozeleski also serves as the kicker for the football team.

He is a member of the National Honor Society, and participates in the Dual Enrollment program at the University of Scranton. He is active in the Leo Club, Math and Science Club and is a member of the Scholastic Bowl team.

In the offseason, Mozeleski is an avid snowboarder and musician, playing lead guitar for the group "Jessie and the Rippers."

hsmith@timesshamrock.com

Riverside

Junior Cassie Semyon has had a very successful cross country season. Last week in the District 2 Class A meet, she secured a spot in the PIAA meet by placing seventh. As a sophomore last season, she missed qualifying by three spots.

Semyon joined the cross country program in eighth grade and has been improving since.

shennigan@timesshamrock.com

Scranton

Seniors Connor Jordan and Josh Stankowski wrapped up their cross country seasons at the District 2 championships on Wednesday.

Jordan ran the course at Elk Lake High School in 19:51 and Stankowski in 20:34 in the Class AAA race.

"I was pretty happy," Jordan said. "It was a nice way to finish off the season. There was a lot of really good runners there, though. Like really, really good."

The tournament is open to students in grades 7-12 at Susquehanna and Blue Ridge. There are four divisions: grades 7-9 boys, grades 7-9 girls, grades 9-12 boys and grades 9-12 girls. Cost is $30 per team.

As for the chicken barbeque, tickets are $5 for chicken only, $8 for a meal and are available at the front offices of Susquehanna and Blue Ridge high schools.

Proceeds benefit the family of Jake Johnson, the Susquehanna baseball coach whose 6-month-old daughter Lainey was killed in a car accident several months ago.

"It's good to know it's going for a good cause," Felter said. "We wanted to help our coach get through this tough time."

A member of the football, basketball and baseball teams, Felter is the junior class vice president.

An honor roll student, he is involved in Project Lead The Way, a program that promotes engineering and math. Felter hopes to study mechanical engineering in college.

swalsh@timesshamrock.com

Wallenpaupack

The varsity and junior varsity girls soccer teams have been giving back to their local community. In September, the JV team held a tournament and raised $1,400 for the Northeast Suicide Prevention Initiative. The mission of the NSPI is to prevent suicides by advocacy, collaboration and education with funds helping to support survivor healing and preventing suicides by decreasing stigma for mental disorders and increasing resources for clinician education.

On Oct. 8, the varsity team held a Red Card Cancer game against Delaware Valley. The team raised $250 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation of NEPA.

shennigan@timesshamrock.com

West Scranton

Senior members of the boys and girls cross country teams celebrated their Senior Day on Oct. 15 during a meet at Nay Aug Park. The boys team finished 9-12 and the girls went 6-12. Senior members of the team are Dante Bieri, Chloe Bouselli, Cameron Grant, Kaela Palmiter, Brian Shishlo and Alexa Slack.

Freshman Colin Kelly was the team's top finisher at the District 2 Class AAA cross country championship meet with a time of 19:19.

jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com

Western Wayne

Senior Jordyn Jacques has enjoyed success on the volleyball court as a three-year starter, last year earning second-team All-Star honors. During the offseason, Jacques played a full AAU schedule with Northeast Alliance Volleyball Club.

Off the volleyball court, Jacques also plays basketball and spent five days volunteering at the County Commissioner's Basketball camp as part of her senior project.

"The other part was running a March Madness teacher vs. students basketball tournament. We raised over $1,000 to benefit the biddy basketball programs," Jacques said.

A three-year member the National Honor Society, Jacques also belongs to Future Business Leaders of America and Students Against Drunk Driving. Future plans include attending a four-year university and hopes of being a radiation therapist.

irebensky@timesshamrock.com

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